Method and system for feeding jet engines

Abstract

A method for feeding a ramjet of a spacecraft beyond the dense layers of the atmosphere includes providing a fueling apparatus having an amount of a propellant for feeding a ramjet of the spacecraft. The propellant is ejected from the fueling apparatus in form of a solid and flexible propellant cord, wherein said propellant cord being placed on a flight path of the spacecraft. The solid and flexible propellant cord enters into the ramjet of the spacecraft. At least a part of a propellant of the solid and flexible propellant cord is used for feeding the ramjet. The cord includes an amount of a propellant stabilized in density relating to an environmental air by introducing one or more linear elements selected from ribbons, threads, or fibers, reticulate or membrane structures.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for feeding a ramjet of a spacecraft beyond the dense layers of the atmosphere, the method comprising
 providing a fueling apparatus having an amount of a propellant for feeding a ramjet of the spacecraft,   ejecting the propellant from the fueling apparatus in form of a solid and flexible propellant cord, wherein said propellant cord being placed on a flight path of the spacecraft,   allowing the solid and flexible propellant cord to enter into the ramjet of the spacecraft, and   using at least a part of a propellant of the solid and flexible propellant cord for feeding the ramjet.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing at least a part of a propellant of the solid and flexible propellant cord in the spacecraft. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cord is ejected from the fueling apparatus, the cord enters into the ramjet with a entering speed being a resultant of the speeds of approaching of the fueling apparatus and the spacecraft and the speed of cord ejection, wherein the entering speed being greater than the ejection speed of the cord. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 launching the fuelling apparatus along a suborbital trajectory, and   ejecting the solid and flexible propellant cord so as to ensure a cord movement along a ballistic trajectory with residual vertical velocity component in the range of 10-100 m/s before entering into the ramjet of the spacecraft.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the cord is accelerated by the fuelling apparatus up to 6 km/s relative to a planet. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fueling apparatus is placed in an orbit of a planet's artificial satellite, the cord being accelerated by the fuelling apparatus towards to the spacecraft at relative speeds in the range from 8 to 16 km/s on circular orbit and in the range of from 11 to 22 km/s on the elliptic orbit. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the cord enters into the ramjet at a head part of the spacecraft. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the cord enters into the ramjet at a stern part of the spacecraft. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the cord enters into the ramjet at hypersonic speeds, and wherein the method further comprises using a kinetic energy of the cord movement in the ramjet instead of a chemical energy of the propellant. 
     
     
         10 . A solid and flexible propellant cord for feeding a ramjet of a spacecraft beyond the dense layers of the atmosphere, wherein the cord comprises an amount of a propellant stabilized in density relating to an environmental air by introducing one or more linear elements selected from ribbons, threads, or fibers, reticulate or membrane structures.